The Free Software Compliance Lab Needs Your Help

Brett Smith is the lead compliance engineer in the Free Software Foundation's GPL compliance lab. He helped coordinated the GPLv3 drafting process and has handled enforcement cases against Apple's App Store.

When people ask me what I do as a license compliance engineer, I have
a tough time giving them a quick summary.

At the Compliance Lab, we've usually got a few one-time tasks on our
plate at any given time, too. Most recently, we've been involved in
offering comments for the upcoming release of the second version of
the Mozilla Public License. From time to time, we also consider
license changes for GNU packages and submit comments about government
policies that relate to our work.

Knowing You're Free

All of this work is crucial to help ensure that free software stays
free for everyone. The GPL, along with our other licenses, is an
important tool to help us reach that goal. But in order for the GPL
to be effective, it has to be understood. People using the GPL need
to understand a couple of key points about the license. First, they
have the freedom to use, change and share the software as they see
fit. Second, if they share the software, they need to make sure the
software stays free for everyone.

If someone doesn't understand part of the rights or conditions in the
GPL, people have less freedom than they should. If you use free
software and don't realize that you have those freedoms, then we still
have work to do. Here at the Compliance Lab, we want to help users and
developers understand the GPL better so they can appreciate what the
license offers them.

Support the Compliance Lab

When you support the FSF, your contribution helps fund this
important work. The FSF gets most of its funds from individuals like
you.

When you join the Free Software Foundation an associate member, you
join a society of ethical computing and social solidarity that values
and upholds the principles of software freedom:

As an FSF associate member, you ensure that our own software remains
free for everyone, by affording us the opportunity to defend GNU
from direct attacks on our freedom from companies that violate the
GPL.

As an FSF associate member, you help our work to foster understanding of the GPL for everyone.

And as an FSF associate member, you ensure that projects looking to
the FSF for guidance on free software licensing get the
best possible information.

This work is not only significant, but it is vital for a free society.

Few companies care about GPL education and enforcement. For this work to continue and
grow, we need you to join us as an associate member. We have a variety
of payment options, and membership is as little as $5 per month.

If you can't commit to a regular payment right now, please make a
generous one-time donation. Help us ensure that the GPL accomplishes
its goals, and provides freedom to all computer users.

New associate members who support the Compliance Lab through this appeal and join online will receive
a set of GPLv3 stickers. They're great ways to start a conversation about free software, and your support for the FSF.